Rack insert for golf bags



Feb. 12, 1957 L KQUKE 2,781,072

'RACK INSERT FOR GOLF BAGS Filed May 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 12, 1957. L. KoUKE RACK INSERT FOR GOLF BAGS Filed May 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iza. 5.

, INVENTOR Rif/M ATTORNEY RACK INSERT FOR GOLF BAGS Louis L Konke, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,504

4 Ciaims. (Cl. 15G-1.5)

This invention relates to a rack for supporting golf clubs and has as its primary object the provision of a golf club rack which is adapted to be mounted within a golf bag and then serve as a means for holding the handles f a multiple of golf clubs in separated spaced relation to each other while the clubsY are carried in the bag and whereby interlocking of the club handles in the bag Will be prevented and whereby withdrawing of a club from the bag will be facilitated. Y

Another object is to provide a rack of the above character which is so designed that it may be assembled apart from the bag and then be readily positioned within the bag and securely fastened in place therein.

Another object is to provide a golf club rack which is light in weight so as not to appreciably increase the Weight of the bag to which it is applied which is strong and durable and which willrwithstand hard usage.

Another object is to provide a rack which may be marketed in knocked-down condition so ask to eiect economy in space during shipment and storage, yet which may be readily assembled and mounted in a golf bag by persons of ordinary skill.

A further object is to provide a rack embodying a pair of superimposed complementary apertured club receiving plates together with frame members whereby the plates are secured in suitable spaced relation to each other and be spaced from the upper and lower ends of the bag in which the rack is mounted.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a simple and adequate means for smoothly guiding the handles of golf clubs, on passing thereof through the apertures in the uppermost plate, downwardly through the apertures in the lowerrnost plate, and which is effective irrespective of whether the bag is positioned upright or horizontal, or at an inclination as when being carried.

A still further object is to provide a club rack for golf bags which is characterized by the embodiment of ilexible and resilient guide-ways so as to be capable of yielding and bending under pressure whereby the load of the bag and its contents will be cushioned against the body of a person carrying the bag either across the back or over the hips thus easing the burden and rendering it more comfortable to carry. Y

With the foregoing objects in View together with such arent other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear,

the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view in transverse section of a golf bag showing the club supporting rack mounted theremi Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the rack partly in elevation;

Fog. 3 is a horizontal section and plan view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail in cross section partly in elevation as seen on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

rEice Fig. 5 is a detail in elevation as seen on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates generally a conventional golf bag, a vertical half of which is shown in Fig. 1, and B designates the golf club rack designed for positioning within the bag A.

The golf bag is here shown as comprising a ilexible fabric tube 6 one end of which is closed by a relatively stii bottom wall 7 and the other end of which is open and fitted at its margin 8 with a rigid metallic reinforcing ring 9 which serves to maintain the bag open at its upper end. The margin 8 extends at an inclination from the back portion of the bag to the front portion thereof as is common in golf bag construction.

The rack B embodies a pair of complementary rigid plates 10 and 11 the margins of which at least substantially conform to the contour of the inner periphery of the bag A, and which plates are formed with a plurality of circular golf club receiving apertures 122-13 respectively with the apertures of one plate registering or aligned with the apertures of Vthe other plate.V The plates lf3-11 are designed to be spaced apart in the bag A with the upper plate i2 spaced below kthe open upper end of the bag and with the other plate spaced from the bottom wall 7 of the bag. As a means for supporting the plates in such spaced relation and in parallel relation to each other and to the bottom wall 7 and also to sustain the flexible tube 6 against longitudinal collapse a frame is provided which consists of a pair of parallel elongated and narrow posts 14 and 15 arranged at opposite ends of the plates ril-11 and to which the latter are rigidly attached by angle bracketsl 16 each having one arm thereof secured by a screw a to the plate and the other arm secured to the adjacent post by a screw b. The posts it-1S are of rectangular cross sectionvand are fitted into conforming notches c formed in the endV margins of the plate which serve to stabilize the connection between the plates and posts as well as to'position the outer faces of the posts iiush with the. margins of the plates. The posts 14--15 may be connected together at their lower ends by a 'oase strip 19 which is secured to the posts as by staples d or similar fastenings and is adapted to seat on the bottom wall 7. However this strip 19 is not essential since the lower ends of the posts may seat directly on the bottom wall 7.

The post 14 is designed to extend adjacent the inner face'of the rear wall portion of the bag from the base strip i9 or bottom wall 7 to adjacent the uppermost point of the inclined margin 8 of the bag beneath the ring 9 while the post i5 is designed to extend adjacent the vinner face of the front wall portion of the bag from the base strip 19 or bottom wall 7 to adjacent the underside of the ring 9 at the lowermost portion of the inclined margin ofthe bag.

As a means for fastening the rack B within the bag A,

the upper end portions of the posts ifi-l5 are connected to the contiguous portions of theb-ag by fasteners i7 here shown as comprising bolts e which passthroughthe posts and bag and are iitted with nuts f in the usual manner which bolt and nut assemblies aiford a means whereby the rack may readily be engaged with and disengaged from the bag. A reinforcing strip or band g may be aixed to the bag Where the fasteners 17 engage the latter.

A feature of the invention resides in forming the plates lit-11 with opposed elongated openings 1S for the reception of the putter club which is characterized by having a handle so shaped and dimensioned as not to be receivable in the circular apertures 12-13.

Means are provided for guiding the handles of golf clubs passed through the apertures 12 in the upper plate 10 to direct the handles to and through the apertures 13 in the lower plate l1. This means consists of aV se-VV ries of flexible and resilient rods 20 extending in parallel relation to each other between the plates 10-11 with their ends engaged in holes formed in the plates to receive them. The rod receiving holes h in the uppermost plate it? are `dimensioned Vto slidably receive theV rodsl@ which in assembling the rods are passed'lon'gitudinally therethrough, .While the holes i in the lower plate 11 fare dimiensioned to receive the lower ends of therods'Y 2i) with a snug driving iit to securely hold the rods in place. The plates 10-11 are preferably formed of sheet metal while the rods Zteare preferably formed of wood suchas dowel stock which in lengths required to span the space between Vthe plates iti-11 are flexible and resilient. However it is manifestthat the plates lil-,11. may be formed of wood or plastic and Athatthe rods 2@ may be formed of metal or plastic. Y' f The circular apertures 1.2-1.3 are dimension/ed to permit the free passage therethrough of the handles of the golf club to be carried therein, While the guide-rods 26 areV arranged around Vand aligned with the perimeters of the'apertures Vwith adjacent rods spaced apart a distance less than. the diameters of the golf club handles so as to confine the handles between th'eeseries of rods leading between the margins of opposed apertures.

In this instance the rods are arranged in most part Vat 90 yintervals around the circumferences of theapertures, and where the apertures are axially aligned transversely 4of the plates a single rod is disposed in the web j separating adjacent apertures so' as to serve as a guide between both of such apertures.

Where the margins of outermost apertures lie close t0 the margins of the plates such that the Walls of the tube 6 'will serve as a guide the employment of a guide-rod( 20 atrsuchV point may be dispensed with'.

' .Manifestly ,the pieces of whichV the rack Bv is formed.

maybe readily assembled and accordingly are adapted to be merchandisedV in a knocked-down condition.

The operation of theinventionis apparent from the foregoing it being manifest that mounting of thejassembled rack B in, the golf bag'A'V involves merely insertingv the rack in the brag to its seated position therein and thenY Vsecuring it inY place by applicationofthe fastenings 17.d

Mounting of golf clubs in the rack simply involves in- 'serting the handle ends ofthe clubsfthrough the aper tures 12 intheupper or outer plate l'and thrusting the clubs along the' guideways formed by the rods 2tland Y through the apertures 13 in thelower or innerplate 13 to a seated position on the bottom wall i of the'bag, as

Vindicated. at k in Fig. 2. A series of golf clubs may thus beiY mounted in the. rack with each. club independently supported'so that a single club may be-readily removed by withdrawing it longitudinally fromthe.1'acl:,Wliicr:hY

is effected without disturbing adjacent clubs.

Manifestly while carriedrin the Yrack Vthe series of clubs Will'b'e supported by the plates lti-ll-with their hanted to the rear portion of Ythe bag, and` whereby the bag is carried'either across the baclc'o; Yat the sides above 17Vthe hips. This yielding characteristicof the rods Vfurther plate. Y

References Cited in the tile of `this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS; 505,645 Wolff r v r separe, 1893 Y 578,541 Bredow i Mar. 9,1897 615,860.1l Laibleet al., Dec. 13, 1898*V V1,696,062 i Thurlow et al. g' Dec. 18, V192,8 1 2, ()64,433.Y Kronthal e Dec.' 155117936 2,482,372V 'Y VRos'sow T I Sept. ,2051949 F .Y FonEioNrArEN'rs y. ji 3,132 VVVoren Bntaiu1 r 'r r 1 Maya, l19712Y E minimizes breakage thereof on being subject to impact delivered to the side of the bag.

While a speciiic embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction Ysetforth, and the invention embraces such changes, modications and equivalents of the parts and their formation `andarrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

Iclaim: Y n

l. In a club rack insert for *golf` bags, a pair Ofcomplementary plates formed with corresponding arrangements of club supporting apertures, a pair of elongated narrow posts between which saidplatesV Aare interposed and arranged in spaced parallel relation to each other, means rigidly fastening said plates Vto said posts, and a series of parallel rods extending between said plates and connected at their ends thereto, there being a plurality of said rods leading from the margin of each of the apertures in said plates. i

2( in a club rack insert for golf bags, a pair-of'corn- Y plenientary plates formed With'corresponding arrangements ofolub supporting apertures, aV pair of elongated narrow posts between which said plates are interposed and arranged infspacedparallel relation to each other, means. rigidly fastening said platesV to said posts, anda series of ieXibleY andV resilient rods extending between said plates and connected at their ends thereto, there being a plurality of said rods leading from the margin of 'each of the apertures in said plates.

3.' In a golf bag'havinga flexibletubular side wall and a bottomwall, a pair'of posts extendingralong the' innerface ff opposite sides.V of said side Wall, apair of spaced' parallel4 plates lXed at opposed marginal portions rality of 'rods leading from 'the margin of each of the'ap-y ert'ures inonegof'sadfplates to the marginofan oppos- Aing'aperture'in the other Vofsaid plates, said'rods having their ends engaged in'holes formed in said plates Yto re' 4()V i Y 4511i ajra'ck Vinsertfor golf bags,1 embodying a plurality of Vs'paeed' parallel posts, a pair of spaced parallel 'plates' -perpendicularly/arranged between andV xedlyV carried vby said. postsgeachofsaid plates being formed with Va series of "apertures correspondingly 'arrange-:lr relative VtoY and opposing the apertures of the other plate; the improvement"'consis'ting,of a'sejr'ies 'of golf-club-ha'ndle guides eri-V ten'dingin' parallel' relation to each other between and secured tosaidrplates, each of said guides leading between opposed Vapertures` Vin said plates for directing the,V Y handle of a golf club inserted through an aperture in one of theplates through 'the opposing aperture of the Vother 

